Numbers Mortifying Endlessly

The January - June 2012 circulation figures for NME have been announced today (difficult period, what with the handover of the editor and everything). They're neither surprising nor encouraging, an average circulation of 23,924 per issue.

They were distributing 27,650 issues a week in the second half of last year; in January-June 2011, it was 29,020. That's 17.5% gone in a year.

Rumours suggest that a merger with The Dandy is being considered.

ITV announce spot-the-celebrity cast

The people who are going on the next series of I'm A Celebrity Although Not So Much That I Can Turn Down Stuff Like This have been announced. It's very, very light on pop stars this time round - there's no "really?" moment like when Cerys was on the list. Indeed, music's end this time is being represented by Sam Fox (she's a bit better-known in some places on the globe for her music than her ability to not wear a shirt) and Sabrina Washington. Yes you do; one of the other ones from Mis-Teeq.

Fox is on the way down - she once had a pointless reality show all of her own - while Washington is on the way up, having previously done Celebrity Scissorhands, the BBC Three programme where celebrities tried to stop Steve Strange from cutting people's hair.

The list in full:

The eleven celebrities heading into the jungle for series nine are: Lucy Benjamin, Gino D’Acampo, Camilla Dallerup, Sam Fox, George Hamilton, Stuart Manning, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan, Sabrina Washington, Jimmy White and Kim Woodburn.

There's a new series of the X Factor

How exciting for all the people setting out on their X Factor "journey" tonight. Because it changes your life, doesn't it? Fame is only just round the corner.

How, you might wonder, does one of the other stars made by this poke-and-prod show spend the day of the new series?

By jumping off a pier, if you're Jonathan Ansell out of G4. Not because of remorse or loss, but because his career now involves taking part in the Worthing Birdman competition. It's a fairly safe bet this isn't a sign of an imminent booking of an arena tour.